If you are moving into a new house, the furniture you choose will be in your life for many years to come. For this reason, you want to carefully choose the right pieces to make your house look like a home and to match your specific aesthetic.
There is a big debate right now about vintage versus modern furniture and how to choose between the two. In this article, we will dive into the pros and cons of each and help you decide what furniture fits best in your new living spaces.
Vintage Furniture
Vintage furniture has a lot to offer in the realm of uniqueness and quality but also has its drawbacks. Check out the pros and cons below.
Pros
Back in the day, furniture was made to last with pieces being handmade and expertly constructed by carpenters and woodworkers who dedicated their lives to their craft. Because of this, there is a lot of furniture that was made decades or even over a hundred years ago that is still standing and being used.
Each piece of vintage furniture has a rich history, making it a valuable item to have in your possession. The craftsmanship in vintage pieces can add a pop of personality to any room and create a great conversation starter. You can find vintage pieces in antique stores around the world, making the hunt for them an exciting adventure. Once you find the right vintage piece for your home, you can ask the antique dealer about its history so that you will have the story to tell all of your guests when they ask about it.
On top of bringing a piece of history into your home, vintage furniture also offers an eco-friendly option for home furnishings. By buying vintage, you are reusing quality furniture and reducing the mass production of new furniture, saving some trees in the process. If you enjoy living sustainably, going vintage is a great choice.
Because vintage pieces were, for the most part, not mass-produced, they are likely some of the only ones in the world, making them a unique thing to have in your home. If you like to have a hodgepodge of items to decorate your home, vintage is the way to go.
Cons
Although vintage furniture has a lot to offer in the way of style and uniqueness, it can often be hard to find a piece that matches the rest of your furniture. Finding a specific piece to go with the other pieces in your home can take a lot of time and once you find one you like, it can often be very heavy, making it hard to transport from one place to another.
Another drawback of vintage furniture is that it can be on the more expensive side. A good-quality piece that is still in good condition can cost thousands, especially if it is rare. On top of that, it may require specific maintenance to keep it in good condition after purchasing it. This means a long-term financial commitment and difficulty finding parts to replace old and deteriorating parts of the piece.
Modern Furniture
As more and more homeowners turn to modern-style homes, modern furniture has risen in popularity, but some still cling to the traditional. Read below for the pros and cons of choosing modern pieces for your home.
Pros
When you buy pieces of modern furniture, you are much more likely to find matching sets so that everything in each room goes together. Modern furniture can also be made to order, allowing you to customize it for your needs. Different styles of modern decor like modern pendant lights also guarantee that you will have easy installation because they are built for modern homes, unlike vintage lights that need special installation. This is also true for wardrobes and bedframes as they are more suited to modern people than vintage items.
Modern furniture also offers variety as you can go into a furniture store and be met with many different variations and colors of the same pieces. Although some might see this as uniform, current trends show that many people like to fill their homes with matching and organized pieces.
Modern furniture is also low-maintenance and easy to assemble, eliminating the need for pre-assembly and transportation fees. Many people are in the market for clutter-free furniture and modern looks offer this with minimalistic designs and hidden storage compartments.
Cons
The biggest con of modern furniture is that it is not made with as strong material as vintage furniture, so it may not last as many years. Modern furniture also lacks the uniqueness that vintage furniture has, but many modern furniture manufacturers are starting to create more unique designs. As for craftsmanship, if you want a modern piece that is handmade, you will likely have to pay a pretty penny to get it, otherwise, you will probably end up with modern pieces that are mass-produced and not one-of-a-kind.
Another con is that because modern furniture is usually made of all-new materials, it is not good for the environment. It is also good to look out for pieces that are too current as they may fall out of style in just a few years. Try to pick out timeless pieces instead of following trends.
Factors to Consider When Deciding on Furniture
Home Aesthetic
The style of your home is a big factor in how you are going to fill it with furniture. Evaluate the age of your home or the remodeling plans you have for it before investing in any furniture to put into it. The paint, molding, and structure of your home should match the furniture you put in it.
Lifestyle
If you are moving into a house to start a family, then you likely want sturdy furniture that you are not afraid to get a bit damaged as your children grow up. In the early years, it might be a good idea to purchase economical modern furniture and then transition to more valuable pieces as your children grow up. You may even change your style after many years in the same house and want to swap out all of your furniture for new pieces.
Cost
The difference in cost between two pieces of furniture, vintage or modern, can be the deciding factor between styles. Setting a budget before you start shopping for furniture will help you have a better idea of what you can afford.
Finding the perfect furniture to match your style and personality can be a hard task when moving into a new home, but no matter what you decide, keep these pros and cons in mind so that you can find pieces that shine in your home.